The CT200h takes Lexus the luxury arm of Toyota into new territory.
Following a trend of people wanting to downsize but maintain luxury, quality and technology, it’s Lexus’ first attempt at a premium compact car.
In what’s a fairly bold move, it’s offered only as a hybrid. This means it’ll appeal to environmental buyers and running costs should be low, but the extra technology pushes up the price.
The CT200h ain’t cheap. The most basic model costs £23,485 and the top-of-the-range Premier version I drove breaks through the £30,000 barrier. That’s a lot of money for something the size of a Ford Focus.
Its environmental credentials are impeccable though. With CO2 emissions kept at a very low 94g/km the CT200h costs zero in annual Vehicle Excise Duty. There are low voltage LED lights and the stereo and heating systems have been engineered to reduce power consumption without reducing quality.
Its official fuel economy of 68.9mpg is also very impressive. I’ve always found hybrids’ official consumption figures hard to match though, and in a week of mixed driving I averaged mpg somewhere in the low 50s.
Though not extraordinarily rapid, it’s quick enough, with 0-62mph coming up in around 10 seconds and a top speed of 112mph. The 1.8 litre, 136bhp petrol engine does not like being pushed hard though, and sounds very strained.
Drive it more sedately, however, and it’s smooth and quiet. In fact, if you want a car for comfortable cruising this is a good ‘un. The cabin is very quiet indeed and the suspension sorts out minor imperfections in the road without you ever being aware of them.
At low speeds, it will run on electric power alone. This and its stop-start technology makes it ideal for the slow crawl of urban rush hours.
Lexus do very classy interiors and the CT200h is no exception. The cabin is uncluttered, well laid out and elegant, with gentle backlighting changing colour according to how economically you’re driving. It’s an interior for grown-ups.
Unfortunately, the rear seats are not for grown-ups or at least not big ones. It’s tighter back there than I’d like. At 375 litres, the boot isn’t as big as many rivals, either.
But the lack of space shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the car’s target market. Lexus are hoping to attract a younger, sportier crowd into their premium compact and there’s plenty of room in the car for parents and young or even teenage children.
It’s a stylish, capable car for the environmentally conscious. But with its price range stretching upwards of £30,000 it’s not for those who aren’t fairly well-heeled.
Price: £30,6850-62mph: 10.3sec.Top speed: 112mph. Economy: 68.9mpg. CO2 emissions: 94g/km.